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ANOTHER LAWMAKER DITCHES CONGRESS FOR INFLUENCE WORLD: Fresh off winning another congressional term, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-Mo.) today said she’s doing an about face and leaving Congress in February to become chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

"I am not leaving Congress because I have lost my heart for service — to the contrary — I see a new way to serve,” Emerson said in a statement. “I did not go seeking this opportunity, but I am excited about the new challenge it offers to find ways to promote strong rural policy.”

REVOLVING DOOR: Emerson is the latest lawmaker (http://politi.co/TwmaI1) to quit for the lobbying and government influence world. And while this kind of migration has long been the way of Washington, lawmakers signing on with lobbying powerhouses while still representing constituents in an elected capacity is particularly unseemly, some government watchdogs say. “It’s disappointing … the revolving door is already a problem with lawmakers who aren’t announcing their plans before leaving,” Blair Bowie of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group tells PI. “This could really undermine citizens’ confidence in government.”

By law, Emerson herself cannot directly lobby her congressional colleagues for a year after leaving office, although nothing’s stopping her from serving in an executive and leadership capacity as she will. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is a massive lobby, having spent at least $2.9 million on federally reportable lobbying efforts each year since 2003, federal records show. While much of its lobbying strength is in-house, the association has worked with several lobbying firms this year to advocate on a variety of energy- and environmental-related bills and issues, including Combast, Sell and Associates; Davis & Hartman; Porterfield & Lowenthal; Reed Smith and the Seward Square Group, congressional disclosures show.

Emerson received $8,000 from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s political action committee this election cycle, federal records show, to help fund her reelection bid in which she faced only token Democratic competition. During 2010, Emerson received $12,000 from the people and PAC associated with the association, according to the Center for Responsive Politics — more money than any other federal-level Republican candidate that cycle.

PELOSI RAISED BIG BUCKS FOR 2012: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi raised $53.6 million for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as of the end of November, according to a dues sheet obtained by PI. Pelosi, who also gave $1 million in dues, far out-raised any of her colleagues. DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) was the closest to Pelosi, raising $20.3 million and contributing $475,000. Rep. Joe Crowley (N.Y.) rounded out the top three, raising nearly $8.5 million and contributing $320,000.

ANOTHER LAST-MINUTE ADELSON CONTRIBUTION NOW DISCLOSED: Billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson gave $2.5 million to Independence Virginia PAC, the super PAC supporting Virginia Senate candidate George Allen, just days before the election. Adelson gave $1.5 million on Oct. 22 and wrote another $1 million check on Nov. 1. In all, Adelson contributed $4 million to Allen’s super PAC, new campaign finance disclosures show.

Despite the last-minute influx of cash from Adelson, Allen was unable to defeat former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine for the Senate seat. PI reported last week that the pro-Sen. Scott Brown super PAC the America 360 Committee also received $500,000 on Oct. 22 from the Adelsons.

A manic Monday to you, PI faithful, as there’s influence news breaking left and right as we start the week.

Thank you for your loyal readership, and now, back to all that’s hot today …

FIX THE DEBT BRANCHING OUT: The Campaign to Fix the Debt is hosting a tax and health care reform roundtable Tuesday at the Grand Hyatt in D.C. The group is bringing out all the stops with big names like Robert Zoellick, former president of the World Bank; John Rother, CEO of the National Coalition on Health Care; Steven Rattner, chairman of Willett Advisors; among others.

VET GROUP ADDS NEW LOBBYING DIRECTOR: The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges has tapped Kevin Cain, a former aide to then-Reps. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Max Burns (R-Ga.), as its new director of governmental relations. Cain most recently served as director of federal relations for health and biomedical sciences for Vanderbilt University's D.C. office. He's also a former manager of federal government affairs for the American Diabetes Association and assistant vice president for government affairs and programs for the National Health Council.

TWO GROUPS SEND CONGRESS FISCAL CLIFF-RELATED LETTERS: The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and the Tax Relief Coalition sent letters to Congress on Monday, urging members to act on the fiscal cliff. The NAW criticized President Barack Obama’s proposal that calls for $1.6 trillion in tax increases. “Speaker Boehner is quoted as being ‘flabbergasted’ by the proposal, which he called 'not serious.' Senate Minority Leader Leader McConnell is reported to have laughed at the proposal. We concur with those responses,” the association’s letter states: http://bit.ly/XivCkP

Tax Relief Coalition’s letter pushes for Congress to address longer-term tax and entitlement reform. “TRC strongly urges Congress and the administration to move quickly to avoid this crisis by extending current fiscal policy, including the expiring and expired tax provisions, and making critically necessary reforms to our tax and entitlement systems their highest priority in the next Congress,” the coalition’s letter states: http://bit.ly/TBNdBK

AGA GOES ALL IN ON ONLINE GAMING: The American Gaming Association is launching a lobbying effort to push federal online poker legislation. The decision comes as the group has transitioned over the years from being opposed to online gaming legislation, to being neutral, to being supportive. The AGA is engaging in a multi-pronged effort lobbying Capitol Hill, using social media and trying to push stories in traditional outlets. The group said it "supports the general provisions" outlined in a draft bill, "The Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2012," circulating across the Hill.

FEC DINGS ANGLE CAMPAIGN FOR REPORTING FAILURES: The 2010 Senate campaign of Nevada Republican Sharron Angle failed to report or properly report more than $2.28 million in debt and $243,750 in last-minute donations, the Federal Election Commission concluded in a final audit report made public today. Angle’s committee “filed in an untimely manner or failed to file 48-hour notices for 169 contributions,” the FEC concluded. Her committee also did not properly detail the hefty amount of debt it incurred.

Angle’s committee “makes no excuses” and said that it had “no intent to fail to comply with the law,” but that “the contribution processing system in place could not handle the large number of donations received,” the FEC’s report states. FEC staff confirmed to PI today that the six-member commission reserves the right to fine or otherwise penalize the Angle committee at a later date.

GOTTA HAVE FAITH, FAITH: More than 300 faith, labor and community leaders from 17 states are holding a prayer vigil Wednesday focused on the fiscal cliff. Brought together by Gamaliel, a national community organizing network, attendees are calling on Congress and President Barack Obama to solve the fiscal debate in a way that "prioritizes investment over cuts to programs and taxes, and that doesn't place undue burden on churches and other community institutions to fulfill government's role of providing a social safety net.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR: The American League of Lobbyists on Wednesday is scheduled to host a breakfast with Rep. Tim Bishop (D-N.Y.) at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Tortilla Coast on Capitol Hill. Fee for league members is $35. Non-members pay $50.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM GROUPS PAN IRS FOR PRIORITIES LIST: A pair of campaign finance reform groups are lambasting the Internal Revenue Service in a letter today for what it says is not prioritizing the investigation of politically active nonprofit groups.

“There is simply no basis for the IRS to ignore, as it apparently has done, the widespread abuses that occurred in the 2012 election by groups claiming section 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status and the role that the IRS’s flawed regulations played in contributing to these abuses,” write Campaign Legal Center Executive Director J. Gerlad Hebert and Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer. Read the full letter here: http://bit.ly/VgoSxw

J.C. WATTS FOR REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN? The former congressman and present-day lobbyist is definitely being “encouraged” to run, reports our John Bresnahan: http://politi.co/UAnjOL

Watts’s clients this year have included companies and interest groups such as defense contractor Lockheed Martin, the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, the National Installment Lenders Association and the Tarrant Regional Water District, federal records show. Among recent past clients: AT&T, the Bowl Championship Series, Ferris State University, Bethany Christian Services, Hunt Development Group and the University of Arkansas.

NOT ALL MEGA-DONORS ARE LIKE THE KOCH BROTHERS: Plenty of super-wealthy activists spent more than $1 million trying to influence the 2012 election while managing to stay out of the spotlight, report Tarini and our Kenneth P. Vogel, who aim to shed some light on them: http://politi.co/SGO4yJ

• The House Unmanned Systems Caucus has pushed for expanding the use of drones as members received drone-related campaign contributions, report Gary Martin of Hearst Newspapers and Viveca Novak of the Center for Responsive Politics. http://bit.ly/UanVbr

• Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) took the most expensive paid trip by a member of Congress in recent history, reports Kyung M. Song of The Seattle Times. http://bit.ly/Rqd2FX

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